A past best left forgotten
by Melancholy's Sunshine
Summary: Penelope's past.


The Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI was somewhat of an unspoken near legendary unit. Efficient, high success rate in the capture of the criminals they were called in to capture. Many were quirky, but seemed nice and fairly reasonable as people.

The prime example of this was Penelope Garcia. The open, often bubbly individual with a slightly guarded past given her hacking identity. She was vibrant, playful and flirty. Other than the obvious, she was never thought to be one to hide things, being a terrible liar that she was.

No one thought to ask about her past before her parents. From before she had become Penelope Garcia. She never seemed to have an interest in finding out.

* * *

Jennifer Jareau sifted through her files, looking over the various cases that the bureau had been asked to assist with. So many murders each case with something worrying that had the local law enforcement calling for help.

"Hey JJ!" Penelope stage whispered. JJ looked up at the bubbly tech specialist in a bright pink dress and matching sparkly bow in her hair. She walked over to the desk with a warm smile. She had her tablet and a file in one arm and waved with the free arm adorned with bracelets.

"Hey Garcia," JJ responded, her voice sounding slightly tired. Penelope's face went from bright and cheery to one of concern and slightly worried.

"Is everything alright JJ?"

JJ rubbed her eyes and gave a reassuring smile to her fellow blonde.

"No. I'm just... Trying to pick a case."

"Do you need help?" Penelope's hand went over the cases, fanning them slightly so she could look at the most basic of information from the files. "I could take a look at some of the cases, maybe use my computer to pull some more information-"

"It's fine Garcia. Just a little tired. I'll have something soon. Alright?"

"Yeah. Okay." She replied pulling her hand back up as JJ reached to grab another file from a far stack, her eyes leaving Penelope's form. "But let me know if you need something." She sauntered out of the room with a familiar click-clack pattern from her heels. JJ's eyes went back to the files. Each one important. Each one pleading for help.

Penelope respected her job and position to pick which mission the team would next accept. But there were just some missions she would not risk her family she had built at work for. She may not have been a super secret undercover international agent like Emily was when dealing with Doyle, nor a face seen by the media and the criminals they caught, but her past wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.

Upon entering her office, she carefully slid the contents of an envelope she had snuck off of JJ's desk and placed them neatly on her scanner. She scanned the files in easily, placing each sheet back in the original folder once it was uploaded. She read over the document quickly. Her mind checking each tally when something felt icky and terrible and worse of all, _personal. _She could feel her heart speed up gradually as she took in what the request was for.

On the surface, it didn't seem all that major, at least not in their line of work. A man had been attacked. Shot eight times from a dark vehicle. While he had been driving. _Through bullet proof glass. _In _Delaware. _And the prized smoking gun telling her not to get involved, was the victim missing his thumb. Despite not having read the name found on the victim's driver's license, she could feel ever nerve in her body scream that this was far too close to home for comfort. Her eyes did wander to the license as she tried to even out her breathing.

The man seemed ordinary enough. Handsome, a little rugged, and looked good in a suit. Well groomed dark brown hair and a pleasant complexion. But he physically appeared rather ordinary. Then again, hadn't everyone there _appeared _rather normal?

She pulled out a personal phone. Gray and simple, the flip phone was anything but Penelope Garcia. She dialed a number quickly into it. One saved only in her memory to keep it from ever being leaked. She let it ring, keeping her eyes on her computer, more focused on using it as a mirror than a screen, in case someone came in behind her. She listened for the ringing to stop. There was no greeting, only silence.

"Excuse me, you called me earlier about an overdue book?" she said with confidence.

"_I did. This is Ms. Penny isn't it?" _a deep male voice answered with a pleasant if not slightly neutral tone.

"This is her. I'll have you know that I gave it to someone to drop off," she paused and looked at the file requesting the FBI, "a week ago."

"_Was it? I'll look through our files again. Sorry to bother you Ms. Penny."_

"No problem at all. I hope you have a wonderful day. Oh, and I here that the weather in Nevada is going to be wonderful this weekend."

"_Already know my _vacation_ plans huh?"  
_

Penelope smiled.

"Well, you do enjoy traveling."

_"Until next time."_

"Right. Stay safe."

She ended the call and quickly away the phone. It was then she was sent the teams assignment. In Nevada. Great.

"Sometimes my patience is tried," she muttered. At least it wasn't Delaware.

She grabbed her tablet and set up the information for the debriefing.

* * *

Along a lonesome highway, a handsome but rather generic looking man sat on a Greyhound bus, making his way across the country to Nevada in another effort to make right on his past. He may not have known what his mind was being used for then, but seeing the Centre use his simulations for crime and profit made him more active in utliizing the skills he had cultivated when he was with them.

He had a grey phone in his hand, no number saved.

"Jarod, how much longer until we get to Vegas?" a man behind him asked.

"We still have another hour sir. But don't worry, just lean back and relax. This trip is all about having fun isn't it?"

"Just keep driving. And stay off your phone while you're driving. What was that about anyway."

"Management just got my time off mixed up. They just needed to make sure everything was alright sir."

**A thought that has been plaguing me for a while. Penelope being adopted and incredibly smart if not eccentric. And the whole like of The Pretender from my parents kept me thinking about Penelope having a connection to the Centre and being one of the kids Ms. Parker saved. Another story I have no idea if I'll do more. But I wanted to get this out for someone's amusement.**


End file.
